People visit the Avenue of Stars by the Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, May 18, 2022. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

HONG KONG – Hong Kong reported 1,794 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, a slight decrease from the previous day's 1,860, as a cluster involving a restaurant in Tuen Mun grew to 40.

Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said in a news briefing that the new cases comprised 1,680 local infections and 114 imported cases, including 60 detected during the "test-and-hold" arrangement at the Hong Kong airport. 

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Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the communicable disease branch of the Centre for Health Protection, said in a news briefing that the new cases comprised 1,680 local infections and 114 imported cases

The new infections brought the city’s tally during the fifth wave of COVID-19 to 1,223,329.

Chuang said the cluster at Victoria Harbour Restaurant grew to 40 as four more patrons who dined there on the evening of June 16 were confirmed infected.

All patients in the cluster were suspected to have the Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1. 

Fourteen other local cases were also suspected to involve the highly-transmissible BA.2.12.1 subvariant, including six whose source of origin remains unknown, Chuang said.

Among the remaining eight cases, two were employees of Fu Tai Elderly Care in Tuen Mun while one was a resident there. 

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Chuang also said three students of the same class at Tang Ying Yip Primary School in Yuen Long tested positive for COVID-19. The authorities have advised class 6D to suspend face-to-face lessons.

Hospital Authority Chief Manager Sara Ho said in the same briefing that 558 COVID-19 patients were being treated in public hospitals, including 89 new patients.  

Twelve were in critical condition while another 12 were in serious condition, Ho added. 

There was no new reported death as the city’s toll stood at 9,185 during the fifth wave.